Insulin pen or syringe

[Ayrshire Dave]

What do doctors in the NHS prescribe pens or syringes with needles, I may have to go onto insulin and I am terrified of needles, especially big ones.
Dave.

 

[noblehead]

Normally pens, but I'd expect if your preference was syringes then they'd prescribe them.

 

[AndBreathe]

What do doctors in the NHS prescribe pens or syringes with needles, I may have to go onto insulin and I am terrified of needles, especially big ones.
Dave.

What diabetes medication are you taking at the moment, Dave? Your profile just says Metformin?

 

[Molly56]

What do doctors in the NHS prescribe pens or syringes with needles, I may have to go onto insulin and I am terrified of needles, especially big ones.
Dave.

@Ayrshire Dave ...my partner is also Type 2 and started on insulin in February..he was issued with pens and disposable screw on needles....the needles are only 4mm long and really fine so you hardly notice them.

 

[Jaylee]

What do doctors in the NHS prescribe pens or syringes with needles, I may have to go onto insulin and I am terrified of needles, especially big ones.
Dave.

Get that sort of image out of your mind.. It's well dated & misinformed. The gadgetry for injecting insulin these days, is innovative & painless.. Has been for a couple of decades..!

 

[Ayrshire Dave]

What diabetes medication are you taking at the moment, Dave? Your profile just says Metformin?

3 tablets a day, plus trying to control with diet but doc is not happy with results and mentioned I may need to go on insulin, tests next week will decide.

 

[Wick55uk]

Well I'm type 1 and got diabetes when I was a teen and they told me that they would never give young people syringes and always give them pens with needles, so I guess your age varies the pen or syringe give .... even if you are afraid of needles or stabbing yourself with them

 

[AndBreathe]

3 tablets a day, plus trying to control with diet but doc is not happy with results and mentioned I may need to go on insulin, tests next week will decide.

Are your tablets Metformin or something else?

There are often lots of steps along the way, to try before recourse to insulin.

I don't know what your diet is like, but for T2s that really does seem to be the key to keeping levels in check. Clearly some folks' bodies are able to cope better than others, so fingers crossed for you.

 

[Ayrshire Dave]

Are your tablets Metformin or something else?

There are often lots of steps along the way, to try before recourse to insulin.

I don't know what your diet is like, but for T2s that really does seem to be the key to keeping levels in check. Clearly some folks' bodies are able to cope better than others, so fingers crossed for you.

Yes they are Metformin, I have everything crossed so hhere's hoping, Thanks
Dave.

 

[endocrinegremlin]

You can get pens with needles barely double the size of the ones in your testing kit, which I assume you have. I wouldn't say it is painless as some said. You will still feel it but not much more than a finger prick. It just happens to be elsewhere.

 

[AndBreathe]

Yes they are Metformin, I have everything crossed so hhere's hoping, Thanks
Dave.

Dave - Whilst you haven't said what sort of numbers you're getting these days, I would be fairly confident there should be lots of oral medicine options for you to try before going to insulin.

I think it's fair to day that a number of us had real surprises when we landed here and started to learn about the best things to eat to get our diabetes into some sort of shape. What sort of things are you eating on a day to day basis?

And, do you check your blood numbers for yourself at home, with a meter?

 

[Jaylee]

Don't forget if you become an insulin user. & If you are a driver? You will need to notify DVLA..